Outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE) is a holistic planning approach which combines the quantifiable outcomes of existing library programmes and services with planning for the new or revised delivery of programmes and services. Five steps of outcome-based planning & evaluation for public libraries has evolved from of a series of successful workshops for library managers run by the authors in the U.S.. It demonstrates a series of management steps for utilising OBPE into the everyday functions of public libraries, to maximise the benefit to users by making better use of an organisation’s resources.
The benefits of OBPE are outlined, showing how libraries can use outcomes from existing programmes and services in the planning and evaluation processes. This book introduces methodologies to achieve this in practice, and then demonstrates how outcome statements can be created which are then used to plan for more targeted services for their users, resulting in more streamlined and cost-effective services to their communities.
The book begins gently for those new to this planning method with an introduction to OBPE concepts and an outline of how it can be used to gather quality feedback from library users. It explains various methods for assessing community needs and takes readers through the process of creating outcome statements and using those to guide the development of new library services and identifying performance measures for those new services.
It is interesting in that it explores more than just what can be found within the library itself, including external as well as internal data sources, and offers suggestions as to how to tap into these sources to gather the most useful information available. The practical advice follows throughout the book, with real examples of how to analyse data and create different sorts of outcome statements, how to identify the potential of partnerships in service design, how to work with many of the methods of evaluation and how to share the results with stakeholders and the community.
Five steps of outcome-based planning & evaluation for public libraries is both concise and practical, with case studies and figures dotted throughout the book, illustrating its points. The references for each chapter are few compared with many other library titles but are very relevant, and the Appendices contain good samples of worksheets and further reading.
All public libraries know the importance of making the best use of limited resources, delivering useful targeted services and getting the important messages across to stakeholders and users alike. Five steps of outcome-based planning & evaluation for public libraries is a practical guide that can assist in identifying and using the tools to do this. It’s a must-read for any public library service manager.
Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation
© 2016 Michelle McLean
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2016.1242364